BOOK REVIEW: Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley

Everybody Writes in a sentence:

A useful collection of lessons on effective writing, content creation and how to build an audience.

**A Short Summary of Everybody Writes:**

Everybody Writes teaches you about every aspect of written content creation, from authoring tips and correct grammar usage, to tools of the trade and publishing your work.

Handley starts by explaining the importance of learning to write well. She asserts that, today, we all write. We write to our boss, to our friends, we write on social media, “in an online world, our online words are our emissaries; they tell the world who we are.” And, this means, we all need to write well in order to be effective in our chosen fields.

Part 1 consists of a set of rules for writing, which boost the overall quality of your work. If you were to read the first section of the book only, your writing would no doubt improve – you should read the rest of the book too though! These writing rules are practical and easily applied to your work. Handley even provides a ‘Writing GPS,’ which I have found particularly useful for my own content writing.

Part 2 is about grammar. Handley comes to many of the same conclusions as Orwell’s Politics and the English Language essay, which I have reviewed here. However, she certainly advances her own points and comes up with her own theories. I particularly enjoyed the argument for limiting moralising within one’s work.

Part 3 looks at developing story and compelling narrative within your writing. This is primarily geared towards growing a ‘brand identity’ rather than storytelling in the novelistic sense.

Parts 4 and 5 centre around publishing your work. Everything from publishing ethics to specific advice for different social media platforms, is covered in these sections. This would be particularly useful for the content creators, journalists and marketers amongst you.

In Part 6, Handley gives you lists of some of the best content creation tools available. These include tools to boost productivity, edit your work and style guides to aid in writing. Especially useful for taking your writing to the next level without doing all the hard work yourself!

My Thoughts on the Book:

Handley writes more like a marketer than a novelist. Nonetheless, the more literature focused readers will still find some highly useful information from the book, especially in the earlier chapters.

Throughout the book flows a resounding message – write for your reader. Almost every paragraph screams this idea.

Handley reminds us to write with empathy and not for ourselves! This is certainly something I struggled to understand before reading the book and a trait I continue to work upon.

“Good writing serves the reader, not the writer. It isn’t self-indulgent. Good writing anticipates the questions that readers might have.”

This is the overarching theme of the book but the practical lessons cannot be understated either. The lessons Handley provides are useful and immediately applicable to any writer. Simple things like a list of phrases to avoid, using the active rather than passive voice, the dangers of cliché and commonly misused words.

Handley writes in a style that is clearly defined and informal, and certainly she follows her own advice when it comes to writing for her reader. The book is easily digestible for a writer of any level.

I suspect that if you are looking to write a novel you would get less from the book than an individual seeking a career in advertising or marketing. This is not a ‘how-to’ on story writing, rather a lesson in building an audience and promoting a brand.

Handley’s approach reflects the online world in which we live, and bloggers, like myself, will all benefit greatly from reading her book.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend the book, it made me rethink my own writing style and it will do the same for yours.

Written by R.P.C

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